ASU Prof on C-SPAN2

June 14, 2013

Dr. Bruce Bechtol Jr., an associate professor of political science in Angelo State University’s Department of Security Studies and Criminal Justice, will be featured in an episode of the “Book TV” program on the C-SPAN2 network on Sunday, June 16.

The episode featuring Bechtol will air at 3 p.m. Sunday. He will be discussing his new book, The Last Days of Kim Jong-il: The North Korean Threat in a Changing Era, as he looks at the prospects for North Korea following the death of former ruler Kim Jong-il and assesses the competency of his son, current ruler Kim Jong-un. Bechtol originally made the presentation at an event hosted by the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., in May.

C-SPAN2 is Channel 8 on Suddenlink Cable in San Angelo, Channel 211 on Dish Network and Channel 351 on Direct TV.

One of the foremost civilian experts on the current military and political climate of the Korean Peninsula, Bechtol followed a 20-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps with six years as an intelligence officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency. He currently serves as president of the International Council on Korean Studies, is on the board of directors of the Council on U.S.-Korean Security Studies, and is a member of the editorial advisory board of the Korea Observer.

In addition to the book he will be discussing on C-SPAN2, Bechtol is also the author of Red Rogue: The Persistent Challenge of North Korea (2007) and Defiant Failed State: The North Korean Threat to National Security (2010). He is also a regular contact for major media outlets on the military and political aspects of North Korea and the Korean Peninsula, and has been quoted by numerous media, including the Wall Street Journal, Stars and Stripes, Washington Post, Air Force Times, Secure Freedom Radio, the BBC and the National Post of Canada. He holds a doctorate in national security studies from The Union Institute.

More information about Bechtol’s appearance on the “Book TV” program can be found online at www.booktv.org.